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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24631591">Inspiration</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddyTheMeanPeacock/pseuds/BuddyTheMeanPeacock'>BuddyTheMeanPeacock</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Flustered Claude von Riegan, M/M, Smoothnatz is real I'm telling you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:48:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24631591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddyTheMeanPeacock/pseuds/BuddyTheMeanPeacock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ignatz invites Claude over to look at a couple of new paintings he drew.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Claude von Riegan/Ignatz Victor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Inspiration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So, what’s this you wanted to show me?”</p><p>It wasn’t often that Claude went into Ignatz’s room. Fellow deer he may be, it just wasn’t in the cards that they spoke too often during their academy days. Recently though, that’s changed somewhat; with the artist coming out of his shell more they found themselves just talking more and more. Whether about archery, a particular landscape, or - Claude’s favorite - talking about interesting bits of history. Igantz, purveyor of art that he is, knew much more than his mousy demeanor let on. Claude was pleasantly surprised to learn new things from the bi-speckled man, and to see Ignatz so openly accept his more far off ideas. Some more than others, sure, but it was still unbelievably nice. All of that led to a friendship he wasn’t expecting but was glad for all the same.</p><p>But they were still… well, themselves. Claude knew he was a private person, the idea of people snooping about his room making him want to scratch nonexistent itches, and he assumed Igantz was somewhat similar. <em> Hopefully </em> not for the same reasons, but still… uncomfortable, with people in his private space. From what he’s seen of Ignatz that seemed to be the case, anyway.</p><p>All the more weird that he was invited in the artist’s room.</p><p>Ignatz moved to his bed, crouching down and pulling out a large canvas. Claude rose an eyebrow as Ignatz held it back-front to his chest. “Well, I just completed a couple of drawings and… I wanted you to see them.”</p><p>Now two eyebrows were risen. “I get to be witness to your <em> masterpieces</em>?” Claude says it teasingly, but he actually <em> is </em> a little honored. Talented as Ignatz was he had a terrible time owning up to his skills, and it wasn’t often he wanted to show off. He let himself smile. “Well, don’t leave me hanging! Show me, or I’ll die of curiosity.”</p><p>Ignatz’s cheeks turned a little red and he takes a breath. “Alright…” he flips the canvas around. “... here!”</p><p>And… damn. </p><p>
  <em> Damn. </em>
</p><p>Ignatz can <em> draw</em>.</p><p>A woman, her skin a golden tan, leaning down and - assumedly - giving her blessing to the masses below her, in the clearing of a luscious forest. Her verdant eyes half-lidded in an expression of maternal protectiveness, her smile small but full of quiet joy, her dark brown hair long and flowing, bathed in robes that shone like the sun.</p><p>Claude blinked. It was… well, it was hard to find a good word for it.</p><p>“Ignatz… this is amazing!” he says, for once unsure of how to express his thoughts. “This is the Goddess, isn’t it? Pretty interesting take on her, I gotta say.”</p><p>Ignatz nodded. “I’m glad you could tell! It’s, ah, a different interpretation of her, yes, but… I wanted to portray another side to her.” He closed his eyes as he continued. “She guides her people by taking on the form of that which lets them live: nature. Her eyes as green as the treetops and hair as full as the tree is full of life, skin kissed by the sun that surrounds her being, she reminds her people to give thanks to the land that gives so much and asks for so little…”</p><p>Claude was… shocked, to say the least. “Our talks really inspired you, didn’t they?” he says with a chuckle, to hopefully hide how… touched, he was. He knew his own views of the world were… hit and miss, with the people of Fodlan. Well, it certainly hit Ignatz. </p><p>Ignatz opened his eyes and looked into Claude’s. “Oh, you were the inspiration for the whole piece.”</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>…</p><p>...um.</p><p>Claude chuckled again. “What?”</p><p>“Everything about you encapsulates the most beautiful aspects of nature,” Ignatz just… <em> says </em> . “Your looks aside, you first appear to be this daunting force that just does what it wants, but you're so much more complex than that. Chaotic as it may seem there is an order to what you do, even if you’re the only one that can follow it. You might keep some secrets, just like nature doesn’t show us <em> everything </em> it has to offer, but what you give to those around you is… well, it’s hard to imagine living without it.”</p><p>Ignatz looked down at his painting. “I don’t say this often, but I’m really proud of how this came out. Thinking about you made it so… <em> natural. </em>”</p><p>Claude latched onto the sliver given to him. “It’s only sad that I could only reach this beauty were I a woman,” he says, placing a hand to his heart in mock dismay (feeling his heart race because what the hell, what the hell, what in the <em> fresh hell is happening- </em>)</p><p>Ignatz looked into Claude’s eyes again. “Oh, this is just one version of it!”</p><p>…</p><p>“Ahh, what do you mean?”</p><p>Ignatz placed his first drawing down to crouch under his bed and pull out another canvas, as large as the first one, and showed off the drawing on <em> it</em>.</p><p>And.</p><p>Ahh.</p><p>It was Claude.</p><p>Absolutely no mistaking it now. It was the same drawing, except the God<em>dess </em> was now a <em> God</em>, and it was very clearly, undeniably <em> Claude</em>.</p><p>It damn near made Claude’s jaw drop. <em> He </em> was the muse. Inspired Ignatz to draw the same thing twice. Ahh...</p><p>“Haha,” <em>think Claude think Claude think Claude there has to be an explanation</em> <em>there’s gotta be a way out of this- </em>“they’re both so good! You’ve gotta tell me, which <em>piece of art</em> do you prefer?”</p><p>That gave Ignatz pause, which is good because Claude very much needed a break. Okay, let’s think. So he inspired Ignatz to draw the Goddess and some god in his likeness. Well, artists can get inspired by <em> anything</em>. It doesn’t <em> mean </em> anything, it just <em> was</em>. If he chooses the male version then it’s just what he happened to like more. If he chooses the female, well, it <em> absolutely </em> can’t mean anything. </p><p>It was fine. What does he have to worry about-</p><p>“I prefer you.”</p><p>And the air promptly left Claude’s lungs.</p><p>“Ah, sorry, didn’t catch that,” Claude gets out, because no, absolutely not, there’s no way he heard that right. “Mind repeating that?”</p><p>“I said I prefer <em> you</em>, Claude,” Ignatz reiterates. “I do like these pieces, but they don’t come close to capturing you.”</p><p>Don’t come close- <em> what? </em> </p><p>Wait </p><p>No</p><p>Nooooo no no no wait a minute</p><p>This is- this is Ignatz! Mousy, quiet, shy Ignatz who says sorry for breathing too close to someone! There’s no way he’d just- just <em> say </em> things like this like they’re just... <em> facts. </em>Someone put him up to this.</p><p>But. Wait. That doesn’t make sense. How long does it take him to paint something like that? And do it <em> twice</em>? Even if Ignatz would agree to pull one over him there’s no way he’d do something like this as a <em> joke</em>. So.</p><p>So that means he</p><p>Really means it</p><p>“Um… Claude?”</p><p>He snaps his attention back on Ignatz. He looked worried. “Are you alright? Your face is very red, and you spaced out-”</p><p>“O-Oh, I’m fine, just a little hot, <em> phew </em> it’s just Ailiel in here, I’m going out see ya later Ignatz!”</p><p>He turned and left for his room. He needed some time to focus on this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>lowkey kinda like Claude x Ignatz... wish their supports were more substantial cuz they actually have a good little bit they could talk about</p></blockquote></div></div>
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